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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Create your text on a dark background
Start with a text layer on the timeline. The video uses bold white letters over a black background, because a glow is easiest to see when the contrast is high. Pick a chunky font so the glow has plenty of shape to spread from, and keep the text bright white.
Step 2: Duplicate the text layer
Hold Alt (Option on Mac) and drag the text clip straight up to the track above it. Release it so the copy sits directly over the original with the same start and end. You now have two identical layers, one for the sharp text and one for the glow.
Step 3: Add Gaussian Blur to one layer
Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects) and search for Gaussian. Open Video Effects > Blur & Sharpen and drag Gaussian Blur onto one of the two text layers. Keep the other copy untouched, so the sharp letters stay crisp on top of the blurred copy.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Gaussian Blur and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 4: Turn up the Blurriness
Select the blurred layer, open Effect Controls and raise Blurriness. The default of 0 does nothing. In the video the value goes very high, around 250, which spreads the white of the letters into a wide, soft haze. To check what the glow layer looks like on its own, click the eye icon of the layer above to hide it for a moment, then switch it back on.
With both layers visible you should see sharp white letters sitting inside a bright halo. If the glow looks too heavy or too faint, adjust the value until you like it.
Step 5: Make the glow flicker with keyframes
A static glow looks nice, but a flickering one feels like a real neon light. Go to the start of the clip and click the stopwatch next to Blurriness to set the first keyframe. Move the playhead forward a little and change the value, then move again and change it once more. Keep the steps short and uneven, a few frames apart, so the light jumps instead of fading smoothly. Play it back and tweak the values until the flicker feels natural.
Step 6: Copy the keyframes to repeat the flicker
You do not need to keyframe the whole clip by hand. Click the Blurriness property to select its keyframes, press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on Mac), move the playhead further along and press Ctrl + V (Cmd + V) to paste the same flicker again. Repeat it as often as you like, or leave gaps between the pastes so the light only buzzes now and then.
Tips
- Use the same trick on logos. Any shape with strong contrast against a dark background gets a glow this way, not only text.
- Add an outline. For a neon sign look, first add a thin stroke to the letters. Our guide to the text outline effect in Premiere Pro shows how.
- Keep the flicker irregular. Evenly spaced keyframes look like a strobe. Random gaps look like faulty wiring.
FAQ
How do I make text glow in Premiere Pro?
Duplicate the text layer, apply Gaussian Blur to one copy and raise Blurriness so the blurred white spreads behind the sharp text.
Why does my glow look weak?
The blur is probably too low, or the text is not bright enough. Use white text on a dark background and increase Blurriness.
How do I make a glow flicker or pulse?
Keyframe the Blurriness value with several changes a few frames apart, then copy and paste those keyframes along the clip.
Want ready-made glows you can drop on your clips? Grab the free glow presets for Premiere Pro.
